What My Heart Wants
by Rose Duchess
Summary: When in another region, Ash realizes his feelings for a certain girl. The question is, will he be able to tell her? Advanceshipping with some Icesparkshipping.
1. Chapter 1 Confusion and Realizations

**This is my first story so please review with constructive criticism. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any of the characters.**

What My Heart Wants

Chapter 1: Confusion and Realizations

"Why do I feel like this, when I think of her?" a raven-haired boy asked himself one night. It wasn't the first time he asked this question but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He started gazing up into the sky, looking at the stars and the full moon. This is what he does sometimes when he can't sleep.

Who is this restless person you ask? Why it is none other than Ash Ketchum, aspiring Pokémon trainer and one of the best friends you could ask for. He has traveled through many regions and competed in many league tournaments. Such as Kanto, The Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Currently he is in the Unova region traveling with his friends, Iris and Cilan and his best friend, Pikachu. He has the eight gym badges he needs to compete in the Unova league but it doesn't start for another three months. So he's just training with his Pokémon until it starts. But not even training can get him to focus because lately, he's been out of it. While everyone was sleeping, he had wandered away from the campsite to think to himself. But someone else was awake and followed him with a Pikachu on his shoulder. Cilan had noticed Ash wasn't asleep, so he went to look for him along with Pikachu. They went into the forest to look for him until they spotted him sitting at the base of a tree.

"Ash, what are you doing up?" Cilan asked. He was wondering what was causing his friend restlessness.

" I couldn't sleep, so I thought of watching the stars," Ash replied. Pikachu went to Ash and sat in his lap while Ash absent-mindedly petted him.

Cilan sat next to him and asked, "Are you thinking about the league tournament?"

"_Should I tell him truth_?" Ash thought. He figured that Cilan was a good friend and maybe he could help him with his problem. So he answered, "Actually, I was thinking of something else or rather, someone."

This had peaked Cilan's interest, because he had never thought of Ash thinking someone else, let alone be up at night thinking of someone. "Who is this person you're thinking of? Do I know them?" Cilan queried with anticipation in his voice.

"No, you don't know her, she is an old friend of mine," Ash replied with a tinge of sadness.

"What's her name?" Cilan asked wanting to know.

"Her name is May Maple and she is a Pokémon Coordinator."

"You mean like your friend, Dawn?" Cilan asked.

"Yeah, though when I first met her, she didn't know anything about Pokémon," Ash said with humor in his voice. "At first, she had told me that she didn't like Pokémon, but later on as we were traveling together with Brock and her brother, Max, she started to love them. That was then she decided to become a Pokémon Coordinator," Ash paused when he remembered those memories he had with May and he smiled at how much fun it had been.

"By the smile on your face, those must have been times you had with her, right?" Cilan asked.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun with her and I taught her a lot about Pokémon and about battling. Though, I knew there would come a time when we would have to go our separate ways," Ash said with regret.

"What do you mean?" Cilan was curious about his friend's sudden sadness.

"When we traveled together throughout Hoenn and Kanto, she had competed in two Grand Festivals and lost. By the time we would separate in Kanto, she decided to follow her rivals in Johto to compete there. I knew she had to follow her own dream so I wished her luck. Though, I couldn't help but feel empty inside when she left," Ash explained.

Pikachu, sensing his friend's distress, climbed up on his shoulder and licked his cheek to try to cheer him up. "Pika pikapi," Pikachu cried.

"Thanks, buddy," Ash replied scratching Pikachu under his chin.

"_Interesting, so he is feeling depressed about a girl he is friends with_," Cilan had his head down in thought. " _I wonder_…"

"Have you felt this way recently or has it been going on for awhile?" Cilan asked out loud.

"Well, I've been thinking about it nearly everyday and I always see her in my dreams," Ash recalled.

"What kind of girl is May?" Cilan was curious of what Ash thinks of this girl to make him feel like he is.

"Where do I begin? Well, she is a great coordinator, one of the best. She is also a strong opponent in a battle. I should know, I've taught her everything about battling," Ash said with pride. Then as he was reminiscing, his eyes had noticeably softened and he had a small smile on his face.

"May is a great friend, she's kind, caring, honest and has a loving personality. She loves all of her Pokémon and takes great care of them. Sometimes she can be very modest even when she deserves all of the credit." Cilan noticed that Ash had described her with admiration in his voice, but he let Ash continue.

"She has her little quirks, but that is what makes May the way she is, I guess. When I think of her, I wonder how she is doing and if she is alright," As he said this, he suddenly went back to being to being depressed.

It was unusually silent after that and it nerve wracking, so Cilan broke the silence "Tell me Ash, how did you feel when you're with her?"

Ash was puzzled when Cilan asked that, but he gave his most honest answer "When I'm with her, it always made me feel happy. When she smiles, I can't help but smile too. When she is sad, my chest feels a pain in it even though I'm not sick. When she is danger, I worry about her safety and I try to do everything I can to save her. Even if I get hurt, it doesn't matter as long as she's safe,"

Ash finished his explanation and that was all Cilan needed to hear. But before he gives his opinion, he needed to be sure of something else. "What does she look like?" Cilan asked.

So Ash looked through his backpack that he brought with him and brought out a small photo album. He turned the pages until he found the picture and showed it to Cilan. "This is her," Ash said as he pointed at the picture. In the picture, she was wearing a long orange shirt with white pockets, black bike shorts, and a green fanny pack around her waist and a green bandana on her head.

"She's pretty," Cilan said.

"Are you kidding? She's not just pretty, she's beautiful," Ash corrected Cilan before realizing what he just said.

"Did I just say that out loud?" Ash asked with embarrassment.

"You did, but it has just confirmed my suspicion," Cilan said with triumph.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked.

"The reason you're depressed about not seeing May for a long time, is because you're in love with her," Cilan concluded.

Ash was shocked; he had never even considered that "that" was the reason for his depression. Nevertheless he exclaimed, "That's ridiculous, I don't like May like "that", she is one of my best friends," Though in his thoughts, he wasn't even sure if that was the truth or not.

Cilan knew he would try to deny it so he said to him "Be honest with yourself Ash. Do you really think of May as just a friend? Because it seems to me that you care a lot about her than your other friends. You even said that you would do anything you can to make sure she is safe."

When Ash heard this, he started to really think about this feeling he has towards May. He thought of the adventures they have had together, every little thing about her; he remembered the most. Her smile, her eyes, her laugh, he remembered every detail about her, even when she would get nervous or sad about something.

"_It's true that I feel different around her since I met her in Littleroot Town. Almost like she was important to me and I always try to help her the best I can. I always thought she was well… attractive, but I tried not to think about it too much_," Ash thought when he suddenly blushed at that statement.

"_When I think about her, my heart pounds so much that it may just burst out of my chest. She is a good friend, but is that really all I see her as_?" Ash asked himself. Cilan saw that Ash was struggling with this, so he decided to help him out.

"Ash, I want you to close your eyes and try to think with a clear mind. When I ask you these questions, you give me your most honest answer to them, okay?"

"Okay, but I don't know how this will help me," Ash agreed while closing his eyes.

"Now, tell me, when I say "coordinator" who do you think of first?"

"May," Ash answered truthfully.

"Okay, say that May was sick, but the medicine she needs is in the next town. What would you do?"

"I'd run to get it if I had to," Ash answered.

"Alright, imagine that May was going out with someone on a date. How would you feel about that?" Ash had cringed at that question but the reason why he didn't know. "Well, I would feel uncomfortable about it."

"What would you do if this guy had hurt her in any way?" Cilan continued.

Ash had clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth "I would punch him so hard that he would be too numb to talk." Ash answered angrily.

"Last question, what would you do if she was in danger, that she could possibly die from it?"

"I wouldn't care about my own safety and just try to save her. If anything were to happen to her, I would never forgive myself. Because in a world without May, I would never be happy again," Ash exclaimed. He suddenly noticed he had tears in his eyes and he had realized that what he said was true. He couldn't imagine a world without May; he wouldn't even think about it. He had done a lot of things for May and he never regretted it. He would only want her to be happy, even if it would cost him his own happiness. He opened his eyes both figuratively and literally as he finally realized what his true feelings were for May.

"I can't believe it, I am in love with May," Ash had admitted.

Cilan was glad that his friend had realized his true feelings. "However, there is still one more thing that Ash has to do," Cilan thought.

"Now that you know your feelings Ash, do you know what you have to do now?" Cilan asked. Ash pretty much had a feeling he was going to ask that.

"Yes, I have to tell her my feelings, right?" Ash said

"Yes, you have to tell her how you feel or she'll never know," Cilan replied.

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I tell her my feelings and she rejects me? I don't think I can bear that kind of pain, Cilan," Ash exclaimed with worry.

Cilan tried to reassure him "Listen Ash, would May ever purposely hurt you?"

"No, she wouldn't, but still…." Cilan cut him off. "Then I think that May would be able to accept your feelings and give you a truthful answer."

Defeated, Ash then replied, "Alright, I'll tell her when I get the chance."

"Good, now, that you know your feelings, think you can get to sleep?" Cilan asked.

"You go ahead, I'll get to sleep in a little bit," Ash replied.

So Cilan walked back to the campsite leaving Ash and Pikachu alone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ribbon, well half of one. The other half was with May when they split the ribbon they tied for in Terracotta Town. He looked at the ribbon with fondness at all the memories of May."Now that I know how I feel about May, will I be able to tell her? What do you think, Pikachu?" Ash asked Pikachu.

"Pika pikachu, Pikapi. (I believe you can, Ash,)" Pikachu exclaimed. Since they have been best friends for a long time, Ash can understand him.

"Thanks, Pikachu, now lets get to sleep." Ash and Pikachu walked back to camp then they got comfortable in the sleeping bag as Pikachu settled himself next to Ash. Before he fell asleep, he looked up at the moon once more and said "Good night, May, wherever you are." Then he fell asleep with dreams of seeing May again.

**So how is it? Please be honest when you review.**


	2. Chapter 2 An Unexpected Surprise

**Well, here is the new chapter. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer:I don't own Pokémon or the characters except Rebecca.**

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Surprise

The next morning, Cilan was up preparing breakfast for everyone. Since he makes food for 13 Pokémon, Iris, Ash and himself, he has to prepare the food early. He looked around the campsite and saw Ash, Iris, Pikachu and Axew asleep. As he looked at Ash, he thought "I'm sure that you can tell May how you feel soon."

He continued with making breakfast until he heard someone stir. Iris woke up and rubbed her eyes to get herself awake.

"Good Morning, Cilan. It's a beautiful day isn't it?" Then as she was getting up, a little dragon-type Pokémon peeked out through her hair. "Axew Axew," Axew cried out in greeting.

"Good Morning, Iris, Axew and yes it is a lovely day," Cilan replied. "Can you possibly help me by finding some berries?"

"Sure, I'll find them," Iris said. "Ax Axew," Axew added.

So both Iris and Axew took off looking for berries. It didn't take her too long so she was back in no time. When Cilan was done preparing breakfast, he let his Pokémon out to feed them. By 11:00, everyone was eating. Well, everyone except Ash, he was still asleep.

"What's wrong with Ash? I know he sometimes sleeps in, but he is usually first to eat breakfast," Iris said with curiosity.

"Well, he had a lot on his mind last night and he didn't go to sleep until later," Cilan answered.

"Why, what was on his mind?" Iris asked with confusion.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you that. I don't want to cause Ash problems," Cilan replied.

Iris was grumbling about not knowing what it was until Ash finally woke up.

"Morning, guys, am I the last one up?" Ash asked sleepily.

"Yes, but don't worry, I have your breakfast ready," Cilan brought an extra and put it on the table for Ash.

"Thanks, Cilan," Ash then dove right in and he was almost finished when he felt something land on top of his head. Ash stopped eating, put his utensils down, and slowly looked up to see a Beautifly. On sight, he instantly recognized it.

"Beautifly, is that you?" Ash questioned the butterfly Pokémon.

"Beautifly!" Beautifly cried happily.

"Wow, it's great to see you," Ash said excitedly. "Pika pika," Pikachu agreed.

"Ash, do you know this Pokémon?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, this is Beautifly, she belongs to a friend of mine. But what are you doing here, Beautifly?" Beautifly got off of Ash's head and showed him an envelope in her hands with the words "To Ash" written on it. Ash recognized the handwriting right away and grabbed the envelope from Beautifly hastily.

"What's that, Ash?" Iris asked curiously.

"It's a letter from May," Ash replied still staring at the envelope.

"Who's May?" Iris asked before Ash suddenly took off into the woods with Pikachu and behind him.

"Hey, when I ask a question, I expect it to be answered!" Iris shouted after him annoyed.

Cilan chuckled "I think he just wants to read his letter without questions from you, Iris."

"Why couldn't he just read it here?" Iris complained.

"If you got a letter from a dear friend you haven't seen in awhile, would you want someone else to know what they've written?" Cilan asked while raising an eyebrow.

Iris thought it over and answered, "No, I guess not, but that is no excuse for him to not to answer my question. Ash can be such a kid sometimes."

"Axew ew," Axew nodded.

Meanwhile in the woods, Ash ran until he was at the same tree he was last night. "Well, this should be far enough. I wonder what May has to say?" Ash asked aloud as he sat down. So without hesitating, he carefully opened the letter and began to read.

Hey Ash,

How are you? I'm doing great. Also guess what? I won the Johto Grand Festival! I wanted to tell you in person, but when I got to your house, your mother said you were in the Unova region competing for the Unova league. I know it is late in telling you, but I just wanted to let you know. Anyway, I had a lot of fun in Johto and I caught three new Pokémon when I was there. I sent in a picture of them. Though, I caught them after I visited you in Sinnoh for the Wallace Cup. Right now, I'm traveling in the Sinnoh region to compete in contests here and it's a lot of fun to wear different outfits. You know what else? I have all five ribbons! It is early but I was able to get an early start on it. The Sinnoh Grand Festival doesn't start until the next month, so I'm just going to keep training until then. I had a lot of fun traveling by myself but it does get a bit lonely sometimes. I always miss traveling with friends, but I think I you most of all, Ash. But then I always remember all of the times we had together when I look at my half of our ribbon. I'll never forget your encouragement that helped me win a lot of my contests. For that, I thank you and I wish you luck in Unova. I hope we see each other again soon.

May

When Ash finished reading, he had a mixture of pride and elation on his face. "She missed me most of all? Wow, I didn't know I meant that much to her, Ash said with a blush on his face. He took out a picture that was in the envelope and there were three Pokémon were in it. On the left, was an Espeon, in the center, a Pichu, and on the right, a Charmander.

"Wow, they look like they were raised really well," Ash commented. "That's awesome she won the Johto Grand Festival right, buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu.

"Pika pikachu," ("Yeah, it is awesome,") Pikachu answered.

"I wish I could have been there to cheer her on, though," Ash sighed.

He was about to put the letter and picture back in the envelope when he saw a small wrapped paper inside. Curious, Ash took it out and realized it was wrapped to hold something. He carefully unwrapped it and he was stunned by what he found. Inside the little package, was a silver chain and on the chain, was a silver Charizard-shaped pendant with blue gems for eyes. He took it in hand and looked at it "This is really cool, it reminds me of my Charizard," Ash continued observing it with a smile until he saw that the paper was a note that was used to wrap it. So he flattened the paper and read what was written on it.

When I was in Johto, I saw this at a market in Olivine City and it reminded me of you. I wanted to give it to you in person, but I wanted you to have it now. Consider it a gift and a good luck charm from me. I hope you like it.

May

Ash had been speechless after he read it "_She got this for me_?" Ash thought. He continued to stare at the Charizard pendant with admiration. He put the note down and clasped the necklace around his neck. He had to admit that it went well with his outfit but to make sure it was safe, he put it inside his shirt so that it was out of sight.

"I love it because it was from May. I hope I can give something to her in return," Ash said.

"Pika pika," ("I'm sure you will,") Pikachu exclaimed as he climbed up on Ash's shoulder and nuzzled his check.

"Beautifly," ("Yeah,") Beautifly agreed with Pikachu as she landed on Ash's head.

"Thanks, you two," Ash thanked them both. He then had a sudden idea "What if I can find something in the next town to buy for May? It can be a gift for winning the Grand Festival and a good luck charm too," Ash explained. Pikachu and Beautifly were enthusiastic about it and they agreed with the idea.

"Well, let's ask Cilan where the next town is," Ash then walked back to the campsite and sat back down to finish his food.

"Why did you run off like that and not answer my question? That is so childish," Iris complained.

"It's doesn't matter, to you any way. I didn't want you looking over my shoulder when I'm reading my letter," Ash replied.

Ash finished his food and asked Cilan "How far is the next town from here?"

"According to the map, the next town is about a mile and a half from here," Cilan replied.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Ash said excitedly. So everyone cleaned up their camp and they started walking. Iris and Axew were ahead of Ash and Cilan, so Cilan started a conversation "So what got you so excited about going to the next town, Ash?"

"Well…"Ash hesitated but he took out the pendant May gave him and showed it to Cilan.

"Wow, that is a nice pendant. Did May give you that?" Cilan asked.

Ash tucked the pendant back under his shirt and replied "Yeah, she got it for me as a good luck charm. Now, I want to see if I can find something to give her in return."

"So that's why you want to get to town. Well, you can go on ahead and look around, Ash. I needed some supplies for us anyway," Cilan was happy for Ash so he decided to let him search for a gift on his own.

"Thanks, but what about Iris? Ash asked with a questioning look.

"Leave her to me," Cilan answered.

After they were walking for thirty minutes, they reached town and immediately Ash said "I'm going to look around. See you guys later!" Then Ash took off with Pikachu and Beautifly in tow.

"Hey, where are you going? Man, what a kid!" Iris said with a huff.

"Well, he just wants to look around and I need some supplies. So you can help me with that," Cilan said. Iris, feeling she had no choice, concurred "Fine, but I'm not carrying heavy stuff."

Meanwhile with Ash, he started looking around at all different stores. Everywhere he went, there were many different things he could get for May, but they just didn't seem to be the right gift. He continued his search but he just couldn't find the right one. It was already past lunchtime when he, Pikachu and Beautifly took a break on a bench near the woods. He had some sandwiches that Cilan made for them earlier and he and Pikachu ate them. Beautifly had nectar from some flowers nearby.

"It's been four hours and I still haven't found a gift for May," Ash said wearily.

"Do you need some help?" Someone said from behind him. He nearly fell off the bench, until he turned around and looked up at a girl that was taller than him. She had brown-reddish hair, brown eyes and tan skin. She was wearing a blue knit top, black pants and black shoes.

"Well, maybe I do need help but who are you?" Ash questioned the tall girl.

"I'm sorry for startling you, but you looked like you needed help with something. I'm Rebecca, what's your name?" she questioned back.

"My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and this is Pikachu and Beautifly," Ash introduced himself, Pikachu on his lap and Beautifly on his head.

"It's nice to meet you. You're from the Kanto region aren't you?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ash asked incredulously.

"I've traveled through Kanto and everyone knows that Professor Oak studies Pokémon in Pallet Town. So, what did you need help with? Were you looking for something?" Rebecca asked curiously.

"I'm looking for a gift to give to a friend of mine. She's coordinator and one of my best friends in the world. I've looked in different stores, but none of them have a gift I want to give her," Ash explained.

"Well, how about you tell me she's like and maybe I can help you," Rebecca said.

"Well, she is a top coordinator, she's very kind, caring and has a big heart. She would do her best and would never give up her ambitions. She has a big appetite that can be matched with mine. She loves her Pokémon dearly and takes great care of them. Sometimes she can be modest but she is one of the best coordinators I know. She's a great trainer but she's an even better friend," Ash finished with a small smile.

"Wow, you must be in love with her to talk about her like that," Rebecca said amusingly.

Ash's face blushed instantly "How did you know I was in love with her?!"

"You just told me," Rebecca replied smirking. Ash's blush then got even redder than a Tamato berry. "But seriously, she means a lot to you right?"

"She means the world to me," Ash replied honestly.

"Well then, I think I have just the thing for you. Follow me," Rebecca then walked off with Ash, Pikachu and Beautifly following.

"Where are we going?" Ash asked.

"To my shop, it's just down this way," she replied. They continued walking until they came to a stop in front of a small shop called "Rebecca's Antiques." They went inside and everywhere Ash looked, there were many kinds of antiques. There were armoires in the very back, Grandfather clocks off to the side and many kinds of other priceless products.

"Wow, is this really your shop?" Ash asked in awe.

"Yeah, I was given this shop from my Dad and I run it with my twin brother Patrick. Of course, he's traveling right now so I'm running it myself," Rebecca explained. "Now you wait there, I'll be right back," she went around the counter and went through a door. Whatever she got, she came out within ten seconds with a small blue velvet case.

"Here have a look and tell me what you think," she handed the case to Ash. Ash took the case in his hand and slowly opened the case. He was looking at the item with his mouth gaping a bit. Pikachu and Beautifly were looking at it with stunned expressions as well.

"So, what do you think?" Rebecca asked breaking a momentary silence.

"It's perfect, this is what I'll get May. How much is it?" he asked while trying to get money out of his pocket.

"Don't worry about it, it's on me," Rebecca replied.

Ash gaped "Are you sure, because I can pay for it."

"No, it's okay. It's for someone you love and that is enough for me. Please take it, I'll even gift wrap it for you," Rebecca said trying to convince to take it.

Ash was hesitant, but he thought it over. Then he finally said, "Okay, if you're sure about it."

"Of course I'm sure," Rebecca said as she took the case and wrapped it in blue wrapping paper with a blue ribbon wrapped around it. Rebecca handed the wrapped gift to Ash "Here you go, all wrapped up."

"Thanks a lot, Rebecca. Do you think she'll like it?" Ash asked nervously.

"Ash, she'll love it, trust me," Rebecca replied confidently.

Ash smiled up at her, thanked her again and was about to leave when Rebecca called out "Hey, Ash," Ash turned around "Good luck with telling her how you feel."

Ash nodded and went through the door. He went back to the bench he was sitting on earlier and took out a pencil a notepad and an envelope. He had a bit of trouble with trying to write his return letter to May, but as he gathered his thoughts, he started to write. When he finished the letter, he looked it over and put it in the envelope when he was satisfied with it. He also wrote a little note and put it on the gift that said "To May" on the front.

"_I hope she likes my gift_," Ash thought when he suddenly heard a rustling noise from some bushes behind him.

"Pika?" "Beauti?" Both them and Ash turned around to look at the bushes and took a step forward cautiously.

"Who's there?" Ash called. Then something jumped from out of the bushes to Ash's feet and started tugging on his jeans. He looked down and saw "A Glaceon?" Ash said confused, as there weren't usually Glaceon in Unova. Glaceon was still tugging at his jeans and cried "Glace!"

"Beautifly!" Beautifly suddenly cried out. Then she started talking to the Glaceon like they knew each other. Then he realized why, "Are you May's Glaceon?" Glaceon nodded frantically and was still tugging at his jeans with her teeth.

"What's wrong? You want me to follow you?" Ash asked worrying that maybe May is in trouble.

"Glace, glaceon! (Yes, let's go!)" She said. Ash put the gift and letter in his backpack and said "Alright Glaceon, lead us to May." So they took off into the forest, following Glaceon as she was weaving in and out of trees and through clumps of bushes. It was like a maze in the thick forest but Glaceon knew where she was going. They kept running until they came to a large clearing. As they slowed down, they saw a Blaziken kneeling over someone lying on the ground. Ash came up to the person lying down and his heart nearly stopped because the one person he loved the most was lying unconscious and was pale on the forest floor. He kneeled on the other side of her and watched her with worry in his eyes "May…"

**What happened to May? What did Ash get her? Why is May in Unova in the first place? Find out next time.**

**Please review. Thanks.**


	3. Chapter 3 Helping a Friend

**Well, here is chapter 3. I'm sorry it took so long with the update, I've been busy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or the characters just the story.**

Chapter 3: Helping a Friend

Ash was surprised that May was even here to begin with but at the moment, it didn't matter. May was lying on the ground, passed out, and she was breathing shallowly. Ash came in closer and put his hand on her forehead. "She's burning up!" Ash exclaimed.

"Blaziken, what happened?" Ash questioned the fire-type.

"Blaze ken, blaziken ken, (May was out here training with Glaceon and me.)" "Blaziken ken blaziken, (As we were practicing, she passed out.)"

Then Glaceon interjected, "Glace gla glaceon glaceon glace. (Then Blaziken sent me to get help, while he watched May.)"

"So that's what happened, then I better get her to the Pokémon Center," Ash concluded. He knew there wasn't a regular hospital in town, so he had no other choice. He walked to May's pack that was on the ground beside her and took out three pokéballs.

"Guys, I'll put all of you back in your pokéballs, it'll be easier this way," Ash then returned Blaziken and Beautifly back in their pokéballs but Glaceon refused. "Glace glaceon glace, (No, I want to make sure that May is okay.)" She wasn't going to cooperate, so there was no point in arguing with her.

Ash conceded, "Okay, you can come along, but we better hurry." He put May's pack in his backpack and then proceeded to carry May in his arms. Mentally he was thinking, "Huh, she's a lot lighter than I thought." Then he took off running to the Pokémon center with Pikachu and Glaceon right behind him.

At the Pokémon Center

Iris and Cilan were eating dinner and so were their Pokémon. Until Iris spoke up, "Where's Ash? He never misses dinner."

"Maybe he got caught up with something," Cilan replied.

Then they heard the doors slide open and the sound of running footsteps. They looked at the entrance and saw Ash running inside with a girl in his arms. Iris was about to ask him where he's been but he ran right past her.

"Nurse Joy, I need your help," Ash called to the Pokémon nurse.

"What's the probl…" she started until she looked at May, "Oh my, what happened?"

"She's sick. I found her in the forest with a high fever. Do you think you can help her?" Ash asked.

"I believe I can help, please follow me to the infirmary." Nurse Joy started leading Ash to an area where there weren't any Pokémon patients.

"Since we don't have a regular hospital in town, sick people come here," she explained. She led Ash into a room with a bed. She pulled the covers and said "Please put her in bed."

Ash walked up to the bed and put May down gently. Then he took off her shoes and put the covers on her. "Will she be okay?" Ash asked worriedly.

"Well since you got her here very quickly, I think that all she needs is medicine and some rest," she replied to ease his conscious. Ash let out a sigh of relief.

"However, I can't watch over her, because I have to look after the Pokémon," she explained.

"I can look after her. I want to make sure that she gets better," Ash offered.

Nurse Joy gave a smile, "Alright, when she wakes up, she needs to eat before she takes the medicine and please make sure that she feels comfortable."

An Audino then came in the room with a washcloth and a bowl of water. "Audino," it said with a smile. "Thank you, Audino. Also, please wipe her face with this washcloth," Nurse Joy said.

"Okay, thanks." Ash then put the bowl on the nightstand, got the washcloth wet, and gently wiped May's forehead.

As Nurse Joy left the room, Ash whispered, "You're going to be alright May, I promise."

Then the door suddenly burst open, revealing Iris with Cilan behind her. "Where have you been? You were being secretive this morning, you dodged my questions, and you came in late. What's going one here?" Iris shouted.

Normally, Ash would be shouting back, but he calmly replied, "My friend May, is sick and I would appreciate it if you didn't shout, Iris." Iris never heard Ash so serious and calm before, so she immediately calmed down.

"I'm sorry Ash, is she really sick?" Iris asked with concern.

"Yes, she has a high fever and I'm watching over her until she feels better." Ash replied.

Cilan then suggested, "Then we'll just let you two be alone then. I hope she feels better, Ash." Then he led Iris out and left Ash alone with May, Pikachu, and Glaceon. Ash continued wiping May's forehead until he noticed her eyes starting to open. "May?"

May opened her eyes and groggily asked, "Ash, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you alright?" Ash questioned.

"My head hurts a little, but I'm okay. Where am I?" May said as she put her hand to her head.

"You are in the infirmary at the Pokémon Center. I brought you here when you were passed out." Ash explained.

May groaned, "I'm sorry Ash. I wanted to surprise you when you came here, but I ended up getting sick."

"It's okay May, but for the record, you really did surprise me. I didn't know you were here." Ash then asked something that was on his mind, "Why didn't you stay in bed if you were sick? You really had me worried."

May sighed, "I promised Glaceon and Blaziken that we would train today. I knew I had a small fever, but I ignored it. I'm sorry, Glaceon." Glaceon jumped on the bed and nuzzled her cheek. "Glace glaceon. (It's alright, May.)"

Ash watched May with a smile on his face. "_That is like her to try to keep her promise_," Ash thought. "Well, the important thing is you're okay. Nurse Joy said you have to take some medicine but you have to eat first. Are you hungry?" Ash asked out loud.

"Well…" then there was a growl coming from May's stomach.

Ash chuckled, "I guess that answers my question."

May had blushed a light red but sheepishly replied, "Yeah, I guess it does."

"Okay, you wait here and I'll get you something to eat." Ash got up from his chair until he stopped, "Oh, that's right…" He went to his backpack, took out May's pack and put it next to May, until finally pulling out his gift and letter.

"Here, this is for you, May," He handed the gift and his letter to her.

"What's this?" May asked curiously.

"It's my return letter and a gift for winning the Grand festival," Ash answered shyly.

"Oh Ash, you didn't have to!" May said with a blush on her face.

"I wanted to, because you gave me this," Ash said as he pulled his Charizard pendant out from inside his shirt.

May gasped, "You're wearing it."

"Of course I'm wearing it, because it's a gift from you," Ash replied honestly. May was blushing even more after he said that. Ash was blushing as well because he was a little nervous around her.

After an awkward silence, Ash broke it by saying, "Anyway, I was going to send this to you with Beautifly but since you're here, you can open it now."

"Okay. Thank you, Ash," May replied with a smile.

"You wait here, I'm getting you something to eat," Ash said as he was going through the door. "_Wow, I didn't think that being around her again would affect me so much. My heart was pounding rapidly, I could barely speak with her, and I was shaking a little._" Ash said in his thoughts. "I hope she likes it." He said aloud to himself.

Meanwhile with May, she was staring at the gift in her hands and she was blushing a bit. Despite that, she smiled saying "You know what, Pikachu?"

Pikachu perked his ears up and jumped on the bed with them. "Pika? (What?)"

"I didn't come to Unova just to visit Ash; I came to tell him something important," May paused. Pikachu was curious but Glaceon wasn't because she knew what May wanted to do. May continued, "I came here to tell him that I…I love him."

Pikachu had a mildly shocked look on his face, but then he smiled and yelled " Pika pikachu! (That's great!)" "Pika pikachu pika. (I'm happy for you, May.)"

"Thanks, Pikachu, but don't tell Ash okay?" May requested the electric type.

"Pika pika. (I won't.)" Pikachu replied smiling.

"I always thought he was one of the most caring and honest guys I ever met. He cares about his Pokémon, he treats them like his family, and he cares a lot about his friends," May smiled while remembering the many adventures she had with him.

"He was always there when I needed help, whether it was training with me or saving me from danger." May continued, "I also find him to be very attractive. He has a great smile, I like his messy black hair and he is well built." She blushed mildly as she said this. "But what I love most about him, is that he is very selfless and he'd protect anyone without worrying about himself." Pikachu and Glaceon both nodded their heads in agreement.

May then looked worried, "I just hope I can tell him my feelings."

She took the letter that was for her and slowly but carefully opened the envelope and pulled the letter out. She began reading…

Hi May,

I got your letter and I'm glad you're doing well. I'm doing okay too. I recently earned all eight badges and I'm training for the Unova League in three months. By the way, congratulations on winning the Johto Grand Festival and I'm sure you will win in Sinnoh too. I caught a lot of new Pokémon here and I hope you can meet them soon. It's a lot fun traveling here and I have new friends traveling with me. Their names are Iris and Cilan, they are good friends and I hope you can meet them too. It is fun traveling with them, but I think it was a lot more fun when you traveled with me. I know we are in different regions but I'll always be there for you. Just remember all the adventures we had together and keep your half of our ribbon. If you have that half, I'll always carry my half. Good luck in Sinnoh, I know you can win. Hope to see you soon.

Ash

May smiled at reading the letter, "I'm glad he missed me too." Then she looked at the wrapped gift wondering what it could be. First she read the little note on the front,

P.S. I got you this gift for winning the Grand Festival. I hope you like it.

Then she carefully unwrapped the gift to reveal a blue velvet case. Growing nervous of anticipation she opened the case to reveal something that left her speechless. Inside the case, was a silver heart shaped locket. It was had a blue gem that's shaped like a heart on the front of the locket with swirl designs embroidered in the metal surrounding the gem. The chain was silver as well but it was made up of small links. She had never seen anything so beautifully designed in her life and she was awestruck that it was hers.

May was still staring at her gift breathlessly saying, "It's a beautiful locket."

"Do you like it?" May nearly jumped out of her bed until she realized that it was just Ash with two bowls of noodle soup in his hands.

"I didn't hear you come in," May was blushing because she was embarrassed.

"You were looking at the locket, you must not have noticed. So, do like it?" Ash replied nervously.

"I love it! It's beautiful but this must have cost a lot," May replied.

"Actually, the shop clerk just gave it to me," Ash replied sheepishly leaving May surprised.

"Really, why?" May was curious about the reason.

"I told her that this gift was for someone special and I wanted to get something perfect. So she suggested this locket and she gave it to me," Ash explained.

"You think I…I'm special?" May asked with a bright blush on her face.

"Yeah, I think you're a great person. You're very kind, you're a lot of fun and you always have been and always will be one of best friends," Ash truthfully replied with his face blushing a little bit.

"Oh Ash, that was probably one of the most sweetest things anyone has ever said to me," May joyfully said on the outside but inside she was squealing "That is so sweet of him to say!"

Ash was smiling, happy that she thinks that. "Do you want me to put it on you?"

"Oh, sure," May answered nervously. She handed him the locket, he unclasped it, and put it around May's neck. His fingertips brushed her neck lightly sending shivers down May's spine. Little did she know; Ash felt a sensation too when he touched her skin with his fingers. May turned around and Ash had to admit that it looked beautiful on her.

"Wow, it looks pretty on you. It really matches your eyes." Ash complimented.

May was so embarrassed that she could only utter, "Thank you, Ash."

Then there was silence between them because both were blushing. So Ash had to break the ice, "So, how have you been?" May actually was relieved that he spoke first because she was afraid of saying something stupid. She relaxed herself and replied, "I've been doing great. I have been training for the Sinnoh Grand Festival."

Then they continued talking about both of their travels. Talking about the many places they have been or the many people they met. They had fun enjoying each other's company as they ate and recalled memories from the past.

"So Team Rocket did that to a poor Meloetta?" May asked as they got into more depth of Ash's story.

"Yeah, Meloetta seemed to be in so much pain. Luckily, we were able to get her free," Ash explained.

"I never thought that those three goofballs have gotten so serious," May was astonished that they did something out of their nature.

"Yeah, I hope don't run into them anytime soon," Ash said as he looked at the clock.

"Look, it's almost 10:00. I didn't think that we were talking that long," Ash pointed out the time to May.

"You're right, but I guess the time flew by without us knowing," May replied. Then she looked on the bed and noticed that Pikachu and Glaceon were asleep, curled up next to each other.

"Aw, isn't that cute? They must have fallen asleep as we were talking," May was giggling at the cute sight.

"Yeah…" Ash replied. Though in his mind, he was thinking of something else. "_May and I are alone and Iris and Cilan aren't here to bother us. Maybe I can try to tell her how I feel_."

So he spoke out, "Um, May?" May turned to him and replied "Yes, Ash?"

For a minute there was silence, because Ash had many thoughts jumbled up in his head. He couldn't even form a coherent sentence until he stuttered, "There is s…something I..I want to tell y..you."

Now to say that Ash was nervous about confessing his feelings would be an understatement; he was absolutely terrified. He had a pink tint on his cheeks and was stuttering a lot. Then he felt a comforting hand taking his hand. He looked up and saw May smiling at him.

"I'm listening Ash, you can tell me anything," she said giving him a kind smile.

He didn't know why but with May's reassurance, it helped him calm down. He took a deep breath, looked in her eyes and started with, "You know that I think of you as one of my best friends, right?"

May was surprised he would ask something like that but she replied, "Yes, I think of you as my best friend too." "_Although, I wish we were more than that_," she thought.

"Well, I just want you to know that I think that you're a great friend. You're fun to be with, you are a hard worker and you never give up on your goals. When you smile, I smile, when you are sad, I feel like my heart would break. If you were in danger, I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you," Ash paused as he was starting to get emotional.

May was listening intently while thinking, "Does he really think of me like that?"

Ash continued, "When you went to Johto to travel by yourself, I had an empty feeling inside, right here," He was pointing to where his heart was. When he did this, May blushed.

"When we met up in Sinnoh, I felt happy at seeing you again that the empty feeling went away. The second time you had to leave though, made that feeling come back, only ten times worse. I've found myself thinking about you ever since and I didn't know why I did. Nearly everyday I would wonder if you were alright or if you got hurt. Until finally, with some help from a friend, I realized why I felt like that, why I would constantly think about you and why I missed you so much," Ash stopped to look into May's eyes.

May was blushing and her heart fluttered, "And what was it that y..you realized, Ash?"

Ash was starting to lose his nerve but he couldn't back out now, not with May waiting for his answer.

Ash was blushing a light pink, but he cleared his throat and started to reply, "What I realized is that…well, May I…I…"

**Cliffhangers. Don't you just hate them? Will Ash be able to confess? What other adventures will Ash and May have? Find out next time.**

**Thank you for reading. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4: Training

**I'm sorry I took a long time to update, my laptop crashed and I had to fix it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, just the story**

Chapter 4: Training

"What I realized is that…well, May…I..I" Then the door opened, revealing Iris with Cilan behind her, and Iris had started to shout, "Hey, Ash! We were wondering if your friend was feeling better."

Ash was stunned; he was so close to confessing his feelings when he had to be interrupted by his friends. Trying not to appear annoyed, he replied through gritted teeth and his fist shaking, "Yeah, she's awake now I can introduce you two."

"Ash, are you okay?" May asked worriedly.

Ash knew he didn't want to sound upset for May's sake, so he calmed himself and replied, "Yeah, I'm okay. Anyway, May, I'd like you to meet my friends, this is Iris from the Village of Dragons."

"Hello, I'm Iris and it's nice to meet you. I also want you meet Axew," Iris introduced herself and Axew as he popped out of her hair, "Axew, axew! (Hi, nice to meet you!)"

Ash continued, "And this is Cilan, Gym Leader of the Striaton City Gym and Pokémon Connoisseur."

"An honor, and this is a rather sweet meeting don't you agree?" Cilan introduced himself with his usual flair.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you both. Ash told me all about you two. I'm May, I'm a Pokémon Coordinator," May introduced herself to them.

Then as Iris was asking questions to May, Ash asked Cilan "Can I have a word with you?"

Cilan noticed there was a hint of annoyance in his voice so he answered, "Sure."

They stepped out, telling May and Iris that they'll be right back. Then Cilan asked, "We interrupted you when you two were talking, didn't we?"

Ash was still annoyed, yet at the same time, he was disappointed in himself, he replied, "I was just about to tell May how I feel when you two came in."

Cilan felt guilty, he thought that he and Iris would interrupt them but Iris wouldn't listen. He put his hand on Ash's shoulder and said sympathetically, "I'm sorry that we interrupted you, but the important thing is that you attempted to confess. So the next chance you get, you can try again."

Ash looked up at him and gave a small smile until they heard a scream from inside May's room.

Ash ran inside and yelled, "What's wrong?!" He mainly was worried about May but he saw that she was fine. She was looking on the floor with a worried expression; he looked down too and was surprised to see Iris encased in ice.

He went to May and asked calmly, "May, what happened to Iris? Why is she frozen?"

May said in a worried voice, "Iris and I were talking when she noticed Glaceon. She was petting her, but then started to pinch at her cheeks. I tried to warn Iris that Glaceon gets cranky if she wakes up. But then Glaceon woke up, got upset, and used her ice beam on Iris. That's what happened and Glaceon went back to sleep."

As she explained this, she pointed to the culprit of the incident, who was asleep curled up next to Pikachu.

Cilan was on the floor trying to figure out how to get Iris out, "Well, that the ice beam froze her up, we have to be careful on how to get her out."

"Maybe I can help," May spoke up. She rummaged through her pack, pulled out a poké ball, enlarged it and called out, "Charmander, I need your help."

The poké ball opened up when a silhouette of a Pokémon came out, revealing a Charmander. "Charmander," it cried out.

"Charmander, I need you to use the flame on your tail to melt the ice off of Iris, okay?" May asked her little lizard.

"Char, (Sure)" it replied.

Charmander jumped off the bed, turned it's tail towards the frozen Iris and made it's flame bigger. Slowly, the ice started to melt and then Iris broke out of her frozen prison, shivering.

"I really hate the cold!" Iris exclaimed.

May replied sympathetically, "I'm so sorry, Iris. I tried to tell you that Glaceon doesn't like to be wakened up. She gets cranky and then she, well you know what she does."

"It's okay, although I didn't know she was an ice-type," Iris was still shivering and it was more than just being cold, more like she was afraid.

"What do you mean?" May asked, curious to why Iris looked afraid.

Ash answered, "Iris doesn't really like ice-type Pokémon or the cold. That's why she is freaking out."

May gave a nod in understanding then said to Iris, "I didn't know that but Glaceon is really nice, I promise."

Iris replied cheerfully, "Okay, I believe you, May."

Ash kneeled down and looked at Charmander and asked, "May, is this your new Charmander? The one that was in the picture you sent me?"

"Yes, I caught him in Johto before the Grand Festival. I didn't use him in the festival, but he is an excellent performer in many contests. Right, Charmander?" May asked the little lizard.

"Charmander char, (Yep. I love to perform.)" Charmander cried out in pride.

Ash put his hand out and started to pet Charmander's head. "Hi Charmander, I'm Ash, it's nice to meet you," Ash introduced himself. The little lizard was comfortable and he loved to be petted.

He responded, "Charmander char char, (It's nice to meet you too, Ash.)"

May observed and complimented Ash, "Wow, Charmander likes you already."

Ash smiled at May and suddenly he had an idea, "Hey May, I just thought of something. Why don't we train together tomorrow? It'll give me the chance to show you my new Pokémon and I can meet yours. It would be just like old times."

May happily agreed, "Yeah, I missed training with you. It'll be fun, right Charmander?"

"Char charmander char, (That sounds awesome!)" Charmander cried happily.

"Can we watch? I'd like to see how you battle, May" Iris asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, I'd like to see May's battle style as well," Cilan added.

"Sure you can watch," Ash replied outloud while in his mind he said "_I really wanted to train with May alone though_,"

"Well, it's almost 11 o'clock. We should get to sleep soon," Cilan pointed out the time. He and Iris headed out the door, bid Ash and May good night and closed the door behind them.

Ash then said to May, "That's right, you have to take your medicine, May." He handed her the pill and gave her a glass of water. May took the pill, swallowed it and drank the water.

"Thanks. Alright Charmander, you better get to sleep too," she said as she returned Charmander to his Poké ball.

"I'll stay here with you until tomorrow to make sure you get better," Ash offered.

May nervously replied, "N...no it's okay Ash. You don't have to."

"I want to and there is no way you can convince me otherwise," Ash replied back with determination.

"Okay, if you say so," May accepts his offer. May got under the covers and made herself comfortable when she spoke up, "Ash, thanks for looking out for me. I don't know how to repay you for all those times you helped me."

Ash smiled and replied, "Just get better, okay?" He paused for a second until he said, "May, that thing I wanted to tell you before? The next time we're alone, I'll tell you then."

May nodded, "Sure, I'll be waiting."

She closed her eyes and was breathing softly, signifying that she was asleep. Ash sat down in his chair next to May's bed and admired her as she slept. He brushed some of her hair away from her face, looked back at the door to make sure no one was watching, and leaned in quietly to kiss May's forehead. Unknowingly making May smile from it.

"I'll be right here when you wake up, May," Ash whispered as he lay himself over the bed and drifted off to sleep. Little did he know, that someone did watch from the door; namely Cilan.

Cilan smiled at Ash's gesture and said to himself, "I'm sure you can tell her, Ash."

He quietly closed the door and headed back to their room when he encountered Iris waiting in the lobby.

"Okay Cilan, what's really going on here?" Iris questioned the Connoisseur.

Cilan was honestly confused at what she meant, so he only answered, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't play dumb. I know that you know something about those two that I don't. So spill it." Iris demanded.

Then Cilan knew where she was getting at and he replied nervously, "I really don't know what you are talking about, Iris."

"Come on, if there is a secret, I want to know about it. You better tell me or else. Iris said threateningly.

Cilan was a bit unnerved but he asked, "Or else what?"

"I'll have Dragonite fly you into the sky, hanging on to only your foot," Iris threatened while pulling out Dragonite's Poké ball to prove her point.

Cilan was surprised; this isn't how Iris normally behaves. He replied, "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Iris retorted.

Cilan couldn't tell if she was bluffing or not. So he had no other choice but to tell her everything.

The next morning…In May's room.

May slowly opened her eyes, sat up and yawned. She looked on the bed to see that Ash was still asleep in his chair with his upper body over the bed. May smiled, thinking, "He always looked so cute when he slept."

She stroked his hair while he subconsciously smiled at that. She decided to wake him up and shook him a little bit then said, "Ash, wake up."

Ash stirred, opened his eyes, sat up in his chair and stretched his arms. Then he smiled at May and said, "Good morning, May. How are you feeling?"

She happily, "I feel a whole lot better, thanks to you."

"I'm glad, I was really worried," Ash said with relief.

Then they heard yawning from the bed, they saw that Pikachu and Glaceon were awake.

"Hey Pikachu, Glaceon, did you two sleep well?" Ash asked them.

"Pika (Yeah)" Pikachu said cheerfully. While Glaceon replied, "Glace, glace glaceon glace, (Yeah, though someone woke me up earlier.)"

"Well May, do you want to go get breakfast?" Ash asked May.

"Sure, let's go," May replied as she got out of bed and put on her socks and shoes.

As May was readjusting her bandana, Ash took in her new look. She had an entirely new outfit that was different from her old outfit. She was wearing a white vest over a black top that showed her midriff, the same black bike shorts, a pink fanny pack, black socks and black and pink shoes. On her hands, she wore black and white gloves with pink wristbands, and on her head, she wore a white bandana with a pink Poké ball on it.

"Hey May, is that a new outfit? Ash asked.

May looked at him and said, "Yeah, I just updated my look. Why? You didn't notice it before?"

Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and answered, "Well, I was too worried about you being sick, that I didn't notice. I think you look pretty in it."

May blushed lightly and was flattered, "Well, we better get breakfast," May was about to walk through the door until she turned around and said to Ash, "Ash, I want to thank you for taking care of me when I was sick. So, thank you." As she said that, she walked up to Ash and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she walked out the door with Glaceon following her.

Ash stood there dumbfounded as he touched the spot where May kissed him. He was blushing vividly but he had goofy smile on his face.

"Pika pi, pikachu pika, (Ash, your face is red.)" Pikachu pointed out while snickering.

Ash snapped out of his daze and retorted, "Oh shut up, Pikachu." Then they both went out through the door, Pikachu was still snickering to himself until he heard Ash say, "You were a bit too comfortable with Glaceon last night don't you think?"

Pikachu stopped in his tracks, blushed a bright pink and replied embarrassedly, "Pikachu, pika (Oh, shut up.)"

Ash and Pikachu reached the buffet where May was; they both got a pile of food and went to the table where Iris and Cilan were already seated. They started eating but Iris and Cilan looked on in amazement as Ash and May were both eating at a fast pace, keeping up with each other.

Iris whispered to Cilan, "It's amazing; I've never seen anyone match Ash's appetite."

"Yes, it looks like they are similar in a lot of ways," Cilan replied.

Ash stopped eating for a minute and turned to May, "After we eat, we can have that battle to train, okay?"

May swallowed her food and answered, "Sure, we can battle three on three, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine with me," Ash smiled as he answered. They both finished breakfast, then May said to them, "Could you all wait a minute? I have to use the restroom." They nodded and May went with Glaceon to the restroom.

Until Iris said to Ash, "I think that it is really sweet of you, Ash."

"What is?" Ash asked with confusion.

Iris smiled widely and answered, "It's sweet that you're in love with May of course."

Ash was drinking orange juice; when he heard what she said he nearly choked on it. He was stuttering, "How d..did you know?!" as he blushed with a shocked expression. He looked at Cilan, who had a guilty look on his face and he accused him, "You told her, didn't you?"

Cilan nodded but he said, "I'm sorry Ash, Iris threatened to have Dragonite dangle me by my foot in the air. Until Iris told me that she was bluffing after I told her."

"It's a gift. Anyway, why didn't you tell me? I could help you with this," Iris asked.

Ash bluntly replied, "I didn't tell you because you make things a bigger deal than they need to be and you tend to go overboard with things like this."

"Oh come on, please, couldn't I help you confess?" Iris asked with her hands together and her eyes sparkling.

"No, please stay out of it. When I find the right moment, I will confess," Ash replied.

"Confess what?" May came back next to Ash, startling him.

"Uh, well I uh," Ash was trying to say something but then Cilan cut in, "He was going to confess at how hard some of his gym battles were."

"Yeah, that's right," Ash agreed giving Cilan an appreciative smile.

May then said, "Okay. Then let's go have that battle."

So they cleaned up their plates and headed to the back of the Pokémon Center where there was a practice battlefield. May went on the right side of the field, while Ash went to the other side. Iris, Cilan, Pikachu, Axew and Glaceon were on the sidelines. Cilan was referee so he called out, "This will be a three-on-three Pokémon battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and May of Petalburg City. Each trainer is allowed to make substitutions. Are the trainers ready?"

Ash and May both nodded and yelled out "Yes."

"Trainers, select your Pokémon," Cilan said to them.

Ash was first to pick out his, "Snivy, I choose you!" The Poké ball opened to reveal a little snake-like Pokémon. "Snivy," she called out.

"So that's a Snivy," May said as she pulled out her Pokédex that was like Ash's only hers had pink on it. In an electronic voice it said, "Snivy, The Grass Snake Pokémon. It is regarded as very intelligent and has a calm demeanor. It is known to abandon trainers who don't meet it's expectations."

"Okay then, Espeon, take the stage!" she called out. In a bright light, a feline like Pokémon materialized as it cried, "Espe!"

Then Cilan raised his arm and yelled, "Let the battle begin!" then put his arm out to signify them to start.

"Snivy, use Leaf storm!" Ash commanded.

"Snivy!" she cried out as she spun with leaves swirling around her. She aimed leaf storm at Espeon but May then May yelled, "Espeon, dodge it!"

Espeon jumped into the air and it gracefully dodged the attack. "Not bad Ash, but now it's my turn. Espeon, Swift attack!" Espeon landed softly on it's feet and let out little stars out of it's mouth. "Follow up with Psybeam!" May added.

"Espeon!" it cried as it shot Psybeam from the gem on it's forehead, enveloping them in a multicolored light, giving the impression of shooting stars.

Iris complimented, "Wow, that is so pretty!"

The Psybeam-swift combination was aiming right for Snivy but Ash counter-attacked, "Snivy, hit them away with Vine whip!"

"Snivy sniv," she yelled out, as she used her two vines and with amazing accuracy, she hit the stars away from her. May was surprised but then she thought, "_Well, I am battling with Ash after all_."

Then Ash called out to her, "May, I'm impressed. Your Espeon has been raised well; it almost had Snivy that Psybeam and Swift attack. You've gotten stronger."

May smiled at the praise he was giving her, "Thanks, I did learn from the best," May replied with her own compliment.

Ash blushed a little because he knew she was complimenting him. Then he snapped out of it and commanded, "Snivy, use Leaf blade!"

Snivy's tail glowed green as she leaped and was going to land a hit on Espeon, but May had another trick up her sleeve, "Espeon, stop Snivy with Psychic!"

In concentration, Espeon's eyes were glowing blue and it stopped Snivy in midair, surprising the grass type. Then May cried out, "Keep it there and now use Shadow ball!"

Espeon aimed the Shadow ball at Snivy and it got a direct hit since she couldn't move.

"Now use Shadow ball and combine with Psybeam!" May called out.

"Espeon!" it cried. It prepared a Shadow ball, released it and used Psybeam to envelope it in its light. It almost gave the look of a comet as it was about to hit Snivy.

"_I've got to do something_," Ash thought until he had an idea, "Snivy, Leaf storm!" Ash called out to Snivy.

"Snivy!" she struggled but she managed to protect herself with Leaf storm. Espeon didn't expect that and it broke it's hold on Snivy, letting her escape.

"What, but how?" May exclaimed in surprise until Ash answered her question, "I remembered how you distracted Kelly's Grumpig with Combusken's Fire Spin in that contest in Lilycove City. Now it's time to fight back. Snivy, Leaf storm!" Snivy surrounded herself in leaves and shot them out towards Espeon.

"Espeon, stop Leaf Storm with Psychic!" May cried out.

"_That's what I was hoping you'd do_," Ash thought. Then he yelled out, "Snivy, use Attract!" Snivy then winked and sent out little pink hearts to surround Espeon just as it stopped Leaf storm. It paused for a second and then sure enough, it had hearts in it's eyes, revealing Espeon to be male.

"No way! He used Leaf storm as a distraction didn't he, Cilan?" Iris asked.

"Yes, he knew that Espeon couldn't stop two attacks at once intervals. So he used Leaf storm to distract Espeon, while his real intent was to hit Espeon with Attract," Cilan explained.

"Now is our chance, Snivy, grab Espeon with Vine whip!" Snivy extended her vines, wrapped them around the love-struck Pokémon, and started slamming him on the ground repeatedly.

"Espeon, snap out of it!" May cried desperately, but unfortunately Espeon was oblivious because of the effects of Attract.

Snivy kept slamming him into the ground until Ash commanded, "Send Espeon flying!" Snivy threw Espeon into the air and jumped up to meet him. "Now, finish this off with Leaf blade!"

"Snivy!" she cried. Her tail glowed green, she spun herself and she landed a finishing blow on Espeon, sending him crashing into the ground.

"Espeon!" May yelled out. The dust cleared up and Espeon had swirly eyes instead of hearts.

"Espeon is unable to battle, Snivy wins," Cilan declared the winner, pointing to Ash and Snivy.

"Great job, Snivy!" Ash praised her.

"Sni vy vy," Snivy said as she stood proudly.

May went out to the field to check on Espeon. "Espeon, are you okay?" she asked him.

Espeon was coming out of his daze and looked at May in sadness. "Espe," he said sadly.

"No, don't be sad. I'm proud of you; you fought with a tough opponent and you can only get stronger with this experience. You did a great job, Espeon." May told him while smiling to reassure him. He smiled back and nuzzled against her cheek.

"You deserve a good rest. Now, return." May called Espeon back into his Pokéball.

She walked back to her side and called out to Ash, "Ash your Snivy is really strong and I can see she is elegant as well,"

"Thanks May, Espeon was strong too," Ash complimented May.

"I may have lost the first round, but let's see if Snivy can beat this one! Charmander, take the stage!" May threw another Pokéball and Charmander came out crying, "Charmander!"as he prepared himself to fight.

Ash said with enthusiasm, "I'll start things off, May. Snivy, Leaf storm!"

Snivy surrounded herself with leaves and shot them towards Charmander. "Charmander, protect yourself with Fire Spin!" May commanded.

Charmander produced giant flames from his mouth, started to spin around and surrounded himself with his own attack; creating a giant fire tornado. When the leaves tried to hit it, they were rendered useless; burning them to a crisp.

"Amazing, she used Fire Spin to protect Charmander while at the same time it stopped the Leaf Storm," Cilan said as he observed the battle.

Ash was caught off-guard but that didn't stop him, "Snivy, when the flames stop, grab Charmander with Vine Whip."

Snivy stood there, waiting until the flames started to die down, then Ash cried out, "Now!"

"Snivy!" she yelled as she stretched out her vines to grab Charmander, only to find that he wasn't there.

"What? Where did he go?" Ash said confused at how Charmander disappeared.

"Charmander, Fire Fang!" May yelled. "Char!" yelled from above.

Ash looked up and realized that Charmander had jumped above Snivy meaning, she wouldn't be able to get away in time.

Charmander had fire forming in his mouth, he came down on Snivy and bit her; causing severe damage.

"Snivy!" she cried out in pain.

"Alright Charmander, use Flame Burst!" May yelled.

"Charmander!" Charmander formed a fireball in his mouth and shot it out.

"Now follow up with Fire Spin!" Then Charmander shot out Fire Spin to follow Flame Burst, creating a fiery missile. Without any warning, it had hit Snivy dead on, knocking her to the ground.

"Snivy!" Ash yelled. Snivy had swirls in her eyes; indicating she was knocked out.

"Snivy is unable to battle, Charmander wins!" Cilan called the victors of this round.

Ash walked to Snivy on the field to ask her, "Snivy, are you okay?"

"Sni vy," she responded weakly.

"You did a great job, now get some rest," Ash returned her to her Pokéball and got back to his side.

"Alright, Oshawott let's go!" he threw another Pokéball and an otter- like Pokémon came out yelling, "Oshawott!"

"Oshawott, use Aqua Jet!" Ash cried. Oshawott surrounded himself with water and shot like a bullet towards Charmander.

May cried, "Dodge and use Flame Burst!" Charmander dodged Aqua Jet and shot a fireball at Oshawott. Oshawott couldn't retaliate in time and got hit by it.

"Don't give up Oshawott, use Razor Shell!" Ash yelled out a counter-attack.

"Osha!" Oshawott prepared his scalchop and it became a sword and he came running, preparing to strike.

"Charmander, jump above him!" May commanded. Charmander jumped and dodged Razor Shell.

"Now, Fire Spin!" Charmander shot out Fire Spin and it surrounded Oshawott, trapping it.

"First she used Fire Spin to protect Charmander, now she is using it to trap Oshawott." Iris exclaimed.

"Okay Charmander, come on down on Oshawott with Fire Fang!" Charmander prepared Fire Fang and came down on Oshawott at high speed.

"I got to stop that Fire Fang, but I need to get rid of Fire Spin first. Oshawott, use Hydro Pump with a spin." Ash commanded. Oshawott shot Hydro Pump, created a whirlpool, while also in the process, it dowsed the Fire Spin. "Alright Oshawott, Aqua Jet!"

"Osha wott!" he cried as he headed upwards and hit Charmander with amazing speed, causing him to hit the ground with force.

"Charmander, are you alright?" May called out to him. Charmander got up and shook himself off to focus although he was breathing heavily.

"There is still one more thing we could do and it's time to use it! Charmander, Solar Beam!" May cried determinedly. Charmander opened his mouth and started to absorb the sun's light, creating a small ball of light. Then when he had enough energy, he shot out the beam, "Follow up with Fire Spin!" May added. Then Charmander used Fire Spin to follow the beam, the flames made the Solar Beam turn into an orange-red color.

"I don't know if Oshawott can withstand a combination of that magnitude," Cilan commented.

"There is something I can try. Oshawott, spinning Aqua Jet!" Oshawott shot like a bullet, increasing his speed by spinning, "Combine with Razor Shell!" Oshawott pointed his scalchop out while spinning, giving his attack the look of a spear. He charged right through the Fire-SolarBeam and had gotten a clean hit on Charmander as well.

"No, Charmander!" May cried. Charmander had swirls in his eyes and he was knocked out.

"Charmander is unable to battle, Oshawott wins." May had returned Charmander to his Pokéball and spoke to him, "You were great Charmander, take a good rest."

Then she spoke out to Ash, "That was a cool combination, Ash. How did you come with that?"

"Well to be honest, I kind have made it up on the spot," Ash replied.

"You should teach me that one. This may just be training Ash, but there's no way I'm going to lose. Pichu, take the stage!" May chose her last Pokémon and it cried "Pichu!"

Iris excitedly exclaimed, "It is so cute!"

"I'll start off this time, Ash. Pichu, Thundershock!" May commanded.

"Pichu!" it charged up it's body and shot out electricity at Oshawott.

"Dodge and use Aqua Jet!" Ash retaliated.

Oshawott dodged the electric attack and shot towards Pichu. "_That is what I thought you'd do,_" May though to herself. Then she cried, "Pichu, ride that Aqua Jet!"

Pichu dodged it and got on top of the water. "What?" Ash exclaimed, surprised that Pichu is riding Aqua Jet.

"Now Thundershock, Pichu!" Pichu charged itself up and shocked Oshawott. Since he was surrounded by water, it was twice the damage. Oshawott was exhausted and it didn't look like he had enough strength to pull off another attack.

"Aright Pichu, Hidden Power with Thundershock!" May commanded. Pichu had produced little balls of light and charged them with Thundershock making them glow brilliantly, "Now, Tackle!" May added.

"Pichu!" Pichu came running towards Oshawott with Thundershock and Hidden Power. "Oshawott, dodge it!" Ash said to Oshawott but Pichu was coming to quick. Then before Oshawott could even move, he was hit severely, sliding across the field.

"Oshawott!" Ash cried. Oshawott was knocked out and had swirls in his eyes.

Cilan raised his arm and said, "Oshawott is unable to battle, Pichu wins."

Ash returned Oshawott to his Pokéball and said, "Great job, pal. Get some rest."

He looked to May and complimented May, "Your Pichu is strong; it was obviously raised well."

May replied, "Thanks. We trained hard and Pichu has gotten stronger every day."

"Pichu pi," Pichu nodded in agreement.

"This has been a great battle, but it's not over until it's over. Pignite, I choose you!" Ash threw his last Pokéball and Pignite appeared. "Pignite!" Pignite cried and prepared to fight.

"Alright Pignite, Flamethrower!" Ash cried. Pignite blew out flames at Pichu until May yelled, "Pichu, dodge and use Hidden Power!"

Pichu jumped and shot out the little balls of light towards Pignite, but Ash called a counter-attack, "Pignite, Flame Charge!"

Pignite surrounded himself with flames and charged straight at Pichu and had it, causing major damage. Ash added, "Good, keep it up."

Pignite kept hitting Pichu, making it weaker by the second until Pignite stopped. Pichu was breathing heavily and it was on the ground, struggling to get up. Then it heard May's voice echoing through it's ears, "Come on Pichu, I know you can do it. I know you are strong and you are stronger than you think. Please, get up. I believe in you, Pichu."

Pichu opened it's eyes and with May's encouragement, it got slowly got up and had a determined look on it's face as it shouted, "Pichuuu!" Then all of a sudden, it started to glow leaving everyone, including May surprised.

May said quietly, "I don't believe it, it's evolving." Pichu changed shape in the light. It's body became taller, and it's ears and tail were longer until the light disappeared, leaving a newly evolved Pikachu in it's place.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried. Of course it was different from Ash's Pikachu, this one had a heart shape on it's tail indicating that it's female.

"That's awesome, May. You have a Pikachu now. Do you want to continue?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, but I think my Pikachu has some new moves now according to my Pokébdex," she said as she held her Pokébdex in her hand. She added, "We'll make this an unforgettable battle, Ash. Ready?"

"You bet, let's go." Ash answered with enthusiasm. They both looked to the other with determined eyes, as well as their Pokémon as they prepare for the next attack.

**What will happen? Will this battle leave them in flames or will the outcome leave them in shock? Please review. Thanks for your patience.**


	5. Chapter 5 Meeting the Contest Queen

**Hey, I finally updated! I apologize for the long wait. I had my classes to focus on and it didn't leave me with much spare time.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I only own the character, Rebecca and her Pokémon.**

Chapter 5: Meeting the Contest Queen

As they were staring each other down, they both began formulating their strategies. Until finally Ash shouted, "Pignite, let's show them a new attack you learned. Use Brick Break!"

"Pignite!" he shouted as his hand was glowing white, and then he charged towards Pikachu.

"Dodge it and use Quick Attack!" May retaliated.

Pikachu dodged expertly and landed a hit on Pignite with Quick Attack.

"Pignite, Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

Pignite shot out hot flames at Pikachu but then May shouted, "Dodge and use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu dodged, charged herself up, and cried, "Pikachu!" as she shot the electricity to her opponent.

"Dodge and keep using Flamethrower, Pignite!" Ash shouted.

"You dodge too and keep using Thunderbolt!" May shouted as well.

Both Pokémon had obeyed and kept using their attacks on each other, while at the same time, dodging the other's attack. They just kept firing one attack after the other, some would hit and sometimes they wouldn't. Then the volleying stopped because both of the Pokémon were breathing heavily, exhausted of using their attacks. Ash and May knew that with one last attack, either one could win.

Ash called out, "May, only one of us could win this, but if I lost, I wouldn't mind. You raised your Pokémon well, but that doesn't mean I'll give up."

May replied, "Of course not, I wouldn't want you to anyway. Your Pokémon are strong too and it has been a great battle. But I'm going to win! Pikachu, use Hidden Power and charge them up with Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu had surrounded herself with Hidden Power and with Thunderbolt, they grew a little bigger and glowed brightly. "Now charge forward with Quick Attack!" May added.

Pikachu took off towards Pignite with one last burst of speed, with her attack combo. Ash shouted, "Pignite, use Flame Charge and combine with Brick Break!"

Pignite surrounded himself with flames, charge forward and used Brick Break with it, making it glow red-orange instead of white. Both Pokémon charged toward the other with amazing speed and power until finally, they collided. The collision created a huge explosion and there was dust covering the battlefield so they couldn't tell who was still standing. When the dust cleared, Pignite and Pikachu were still on their feet, but they both looked exhausted, breathing heavily to show it.

Between the two of them, Pikachu said to Pignite, "Pika, pika Pikachu. (You know, you're really good.)"

Pignite replied, "Pignite, pig pignite. (Thanks, so are you.)"

They gave each other one last smile until they collapsed with swirls in their eyes. Cilan declared, "Both Pikachu and Pignite are unable to battle, which means that this match is a draw."

Ash and May were momentarily shocked but then they smiled because they knew they tried their best. May walked up to Pikachu, picked her up and asked, "Pikachu, are you okay?" Pikachu looked up to her and weakly replied, "Pika, pikachu. (Yeah, I'm fine.)"

"You were great and I'm really happy that you evolved," May told her as she smiled.

Ash was with Pignite, helping him sit up, and he asked, "Are you alright, buddy?"

Pignite replied, "Pignite, pig. (Yeah, I'm okay)"

"You were awesome and your Brick Break was great," Ash proudly stated.

May then walked to the two of them and she complimented, "Your Pignite is really strong and it's really cute too." She petted Pignite's head and pignite was smiling, flattered by her compliment.

Ash replied, "Your Pikachu is strong too, she is really tough." He scratched May's Pikachu under her chin and she cooed happily.

Cilan, Iris, Axew, Pikachu and Glaceon came over to them, then Cilan gave his ever so famous evaluation of their battle, "A perfect blend of ingredients for a heated battle such as this. The strength that both trainers possess is nothing short of a hot spice added to a mixture of a long-time friendship that has developed into a bond of mutual trust and respect. I don't think I've ever seen a bond between two people like the both of you."

May was surprised by his compliment, but Iris was exasperated by it and Ash was sheepishly scratching his head.

Deciding to change the subject, Iris spoke up, "Your Pikachu is so cute May, though it will be confusing since there are two Pikachu in our group."

"Why don't you nickname her?" a voice said from behind them.

They all turned around and Ash exclaimed, "Hi, Rebecca. What are you doing here?"

"Hey Ash, I was here to pick up my Pokémon, when I heard a battle going on outside. I hope you don't mind I was watching, it was a great battle." Rebecca replied.

May spoke to her, "Thank you, but who are you exactly?"

"That's right, you don't know her. May, Cilan, Iris, this is Rebecca. I met her yesterday when I was looking around town; she owns the antique shop, Rebecca's Antiques. Actually, she was one who gave me the locket," Ash explained.

"Oh, so she was the clerk. It's nice to meet you Rebecca, I'm May," she introduced herself to the older woman.

"Hello Rebecca, I'm Iris and this is Axew," Iris then spoke up after May. Lastly, Cilan introduced himself, "I'm Cilan and it is a pleasure to meet you."

Rebecca smiled at them and replied, "It's nice to meet you all too. Anyway, I was just going to suggest that you nickname your Pikachu to differentiate both her and Ash's Pikachu."

"I guess that would be a good idea, but I don't know what I could call her," May had her hand touching her chin in wonder.

"How about I suggest some and Pikachu can tell me if she likes it or not?" Rebecca asked.

"Okay, go ahead," May agreed.

Rebecca had her eyes closed in thought, until she asked May's Pikachu, "Do you like the name, Rita?"

May's Pikachu thought about it for a few seconds then she smiled and happily said, "Pikachu! (I love it!)"

"It looks like we have a winner, Rebecca. Rita it is," May said.

"I'm glad to help. I also want to say that the battle that you and Ash had was awesome, it was almost like watching a contest battle," Rebecca complimented.

"Thanks, but how do you know about Pokémon contests if you live in Unova? Also, you look familiar." May asked curiously.

Rebecca flinched, then said in a nervous voice, "I have traveled through the different regions and have at least watched a contest before, that's all. By the way Ash, that combo attack with Flame Charge and Brick Break was well executed, did you come up with that yourself?"

Ash answered, "Yeah, I did. Although I wasn't sure it would work the first time."

Rebecca grinned and said, "Well, if you don't know if an attack combo will work, you'll never know unless you try."

Then suddenly May shouted, "That's it, I remember why you are familiar!"

She took her bag off her waist and started rummaging through it, when Ash asked, "What do you mean, May? Have you seen Rebecca before?"

May pulled out a small booklet, and then said in an excited voice, "Yes, I have been reading up on past top coordinators when I have read an article about a top Coordinator who has won all of the Grand Festivals on her first try when she was ten years old. Only for her to win many times over since that time, and that Coordinator is Rebecca." She then flipped through the booklet to a page with Rebecca's picture in it with an Emboar next to her.

Ash, Iris, Cilan, Pikachu and Axew looked at the picture and Iris exclaimed, "Wow, it really is her."

"I didn't know that she is well known in other regions, this is certainly a sweet recipe for a reputation," Cilan commented.

Then May further explained, "She has been the best since her first time, and as a result, she was known amongst other coordinators as "The Contest Queen. This means that no matter what situation she was in or if she was under pressure when battling, she was always calm and made sure to show her Pokémon off in the best way she knew how."

Then Ash asked Rebecca, "Rebecca, is that true? Are you really known as the Contest Queen?"

Rebecca had an embarrassed expression on her face, but she replied, "You didn't need to explain that much but yes, I am called The Contest Queen. I have won the Grand Festivals many times since I was ten years old until at least two years ago."

"I've always wanted to meet you and maybe to watch you perform in person. I wanted to watch a top coordinator in action. Could you possibly show us, please?" May asked with a pleading look on her face.

"I don't know, I might be a little rusty. I haven't performed in front of people in a while," Rebecca explained.

But then Ash asked, "Please, could you show us, Rebecca? I would really like it if you could perform for May." Then Ash blushed a little bit when he heard what he just said. May on the other hand, was smiling, and thought to herself, "_Ash is so sweet_."

Iris then asked also, "Please could you show us? I'm sure it will be fun to watch."Axew, Pikachu, Glaceon, Pignite and Rita nodded their heads in agreement.

Then Cilan said, "It seems that we all agree to watch you perform, Rebecca. So would you, please?"

Rebecca gave a little laugh and finally said, "How could I say no to a fan and her friends? Okay, I'll show you what I can do since my Pokémon are feeling better."

Then everyone had moved to the sidelines to let Rebecca use the field. On the field, Rebecca went into the center and took two Poké balls from her belt and shouted, "Tara, Oshee, it's time to shine!" She threw them up into the air and the Pokémon were revealed to be an Emboar and a Samurott.

"Wow, so those are her Emboar and Samurott. I have read that she won many appeals with them," May said excitedly.

Rebecca signaled them and commanded, "Oshee, let start things off with Ice Beam!"

"Samu rott!" she shouted, as she shot an Ice Beam to form a sphere on the ground. Then Rebecca shouted, "Tara, now let's use Arm Thrust!" Then Tara used Arm Thrust to throw up the ice ball into the air towards Oshee when Rebecca shouted, "Now Oshee, Hydro Pump!"

Then Oshee shot a jet of water at the ice ball to keep it in the air at just the right until Rebecca said, "Now Tara, use Thunderpunch!"

Tara charged up an electrical charge in her right arm, jumped to where the ice ball was and punched it with all her strength. Doing this, caused the ice ball to explode into sparking snow because of the water that was used to hold it up. This gave the effect of the snow seeming to give off an electrical charge because of the hit with Thunderpunch. May was ecstatic to watch the performance and was in awe of the control of the appeal combination. Ash was watching May, happy that she got to see a famous coordinator perform and was also amazed of how beautiful the appeal was.

Then Rebecca shouted to both her Pokémon, "Alright let's finish off with Water Pledge and Fire Pledge, you two!"

Then both Tara and Oshee had punched the ground towards the other making water and fire appear simultaneously, as they both interact the water evaporated from the fire. After it had stopped, there was rainbow covering the field with the light of the sun. At the of the appeal, Rebecca and her Pokémon bowed to Ash and everyone to signify the end of their performance.

May came up to Rebecca and complimented, "That was amazing, Rebecca! You still got it!"

"Thank you, May. I have to admit that it has been a while since I performed, but maybe I might compete again when my brother gets back," Rebecca replied.

Then Cilan had started his evaluation with the performance, "A truly splendid recipe of a true performer. The fiery hotness of the flames with the cool essence of water and ice make for a remarkable performance. I truly have witnessed the best performance of a top coordinator first-hand and may I say it was truly an honor."

Ash also complimented Rebecca, "That was awesome, I didn't know you could use Thunderpunch like that."

Lastly, Iris gave her compliment to Rebecca, "That was a pretty performance, Rebecca. I couldn't take my eyes off it."

Then the Pokémon agreed with their trainers and they all enjoyed the performance.

"I'm glad that you liked it. Well, I bet that you guys are hungry. Why we don't have lunch in the Pokémon Center while our Pokémon recover?" Rebecca asked the group. Her question was answered with a pair of growling stomachs coming from Ash and May, which they had been blushing because they were embarrassed.

Rebecca chuckled, "Well I guess I can take that as a yes. Let's go."

They had gone back inside the Pokémon Center, left their Pokémon with Nurse Joy, and served themselves from the buffet. Ash and May both got large portions and started to eat almost in synch with each other while Iris, Cilan and Rebecca watched in amazement. Then Rebecca commented quietly, "So she is the one Ash is in love with. They are really alike in a lot of ways."

Cilan asked her just as quietly, "How did you know that?"

Rebecca replied, "He told me about a girl he was in love with yesterday and besides she's wearing the locket that is from my shop."

Then she had put her hand to her chin and said to them with a mischievous grin, "I have an idea to push those two together. There is a festival going on in town tomorrow and there will be a lot of food, games and a fireworks display. I bet if we can convince Ash to take May out on a date, I'm sure that he would be able to tell her how he feels."

Cilan was worried but Iris exclaimed quietly, "That is a great idea! But how do we get Ash to ask her?"

"You two leave that to me, you two just talk with May," Rebecca told them. Then she got up from her seat and whispered to Ash, "Ash, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ash raised his eyebrows in confusion but said, "Sure."

Rebecca led him into the hallway where the rooms were located and asked, "Is May the one you love?"

Ash then was blushing crimson red but he slowly nodded his head to indicate that it was May. Then without warning, Rebecca made her suggestion, "You should ask her out to the festival tomorrow on a date."

Ash had his mouth hang open at first but then he said, "I can't do that. I don't even know how to act on a date let alone to have actually been on a date. I don't think I can do that, Rebecca."

She smiled and tried to reassure him, "Don't worry about planning because I'll help with that. This could be a good opportunity for you to tell her your feelings since it would just be you two alone. So just give it a try, and besides, I'm sure you both will have fun."

Ash was silent to consider the options he had to tell May his feelings, "_Well, I was interrupted the last time. This might be a great chance to tell her._" Then he said, "Alright, I'll try it, but you had better not meddle in it Rebecca."

"Of course, I'll make sure nothing happens," Rebecca agreed but unbeknownst to Ash, her hand was behind her back crossing her fingers.

Then Ash and Rebecca went back to the table and Ash sat back down next to May who was just starting on her second helping of noodles. Then Rebecca asked Cilan and Iris to come with her to give Ash and May privacy. It was quiet until Ash spoke up, "Uh, May can I ask you something?"

May swallowed her food, and replied, "Sure, what is it?"

Ash was a bit nervous but he asked her in a shaky voice, "Well, um there is this festival taking place tomorrow and I was wondering if you… uh wanted to go with me?

May stared at him with wide eyes and nervously asked, "You mean like a date?"

"Yes, like a date, that is if you want to." Ash said nervously scratching his head.

When Ash was prepared to be rejected, but was surprised when she answered, "I'd love to, Ash."

"Really, you would?" Ash asked.

"Yes, I'd love to go to the festival with you," she answered calmly but in her thoughts she said, "_Yes, yes, yes! I can't believe I'm going on a date with Ash!_"

"Okay then, I guess we can meet here when we go tomorrow. Is that okay?" Ash asked.

"Yes that's fine with me, Ash. I'd better make sure I get the perfect outfit, so I'll see you later, Ash," May replied. With that she took off to pick up her Pokémon first and then took off with Glaceon who finished with her food, out the door.

Ash let out a sigh of relief, glad that the first part was over, but the next step was what to plan on this date. Sadly, though, he had no clue whatsoever. Then he thought wearily, "_Looks like I'll need their help after all_."

**Will Ash be able to get through this date? Will he be able to tell May his feelings this time? Find out next time.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and again sorry for the wait. Please review if you have the chance.**


	6. Chapter 6: Date Planning

**I finally updated. I'm sorry it took long.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the characters. I only own Rebecca.**

Chapter 6: Date Planning

"Okay you guys, I know I said that you all shouldn't meddle in my personal business, but in this case, I really have no clue on what to do. So, could all of you possibly help me plan my date for tomorrow?" Ash asked the only three people who knew of his feelings pleadingly.

Rebecca was the first to answer, "Of course, I'm glad you asked us Ash." Happily, she started to go over all of the activities that the festival usually consists of. She even started to figure out the plans for the date as if she knew that it was the perfect plan already.

"First of all, there is a Pokémon tournament that they hold every year and the winner gets a Pokémon egg that takes place later in the day. I think that it would be a nice gesture that you could win it for her," She explained that they will do little activities before this tournament

Then she turned to Cilan and asked, "Cilan, do you think that you can figure out his outfit for tomorrow? It doesn't have to be formal but it may be a different casual outfit than he has on."

"Sure, I can think of a perfect outfit for him," Cilan replied with enthusiasm.

"Great, now that we have the general plan, I'm sure Ash can remember the whole of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, Iris and I can catch up to May to help with her outfit." Rebecca concluded. Then she had gone out the door with Iris and Axew in tow to find May.

Then when they were gone, Cilan had a devious smile on his face as he looked at Ash with an idea already in mind.

Then he announced, "It's time to choose an outfit!" with a certain flair that he usually does.

Then Ash thought to himself, "_I'm starting to think that asking for their help wasn't such a good idea._"

Meanwhile with May…

May and Glaceon were going through different outfits already but they didn't have any luck so far.

May sighed wearily, "I don't know what to wear for tomorrow. I know it would be casual but I still want to look nice."

"Glace, glaceon glace (Don't worry, I'm sure that you can find one.)" Glaceon sympathized, she was just as nervous as her trainer in case Pikachu came with him.

"Hey, May!" a voice shouted. May and Glaceon turned around to see Iris and Rebecca coming towards them.

"Rebecca, Iris, Axew, what are you all doing here?" May asked.

"We heard about your little date with Ash and we thought we could help you with your outfit for it," Iris said excitedly.

"If that's okay with you May, we would like to help you," Rebecca added.

May thought about their offer and she figured that maybe she could use a second opinion, so she answered, "Sure, I haven't had any luck finding an outfit, maybe you could help me."

So then the two young girls and the young woman spent hours looking for outfits and Rebecca and Iris gave their opinions of each one May tried on. They had said no on a lot of them until they finally settled on one that looked great on her.

"This one is definitely the right one!" Iris had said.

Rebecca agreed, "I think that it's perfect."

**I'm sorry that it is short but I wanted to get this chapter out of the way to get to the date.**

**I hope that you like it. Please review if you want. Positive and negative feedback is welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Perfect Date: Part 1

**I finally updated. I'm sorry that it took so long. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the characters. I only own Rebecca and the story.**

Chapter 7: The Perfect Date: Part 1

"_There's no way I can remain calm, I'm too nervous_!" Ash thought to himself as he waited in the lobby for May to come. The poor guy was a nervous wreck, pacing back and forth trying to calm his nerves, while Pikachu watched in worry for his friend. Pikachu was also nervous; Glaceon was going to tag along with May on this date too but he was silently worried.

Cilan was in the lobby with them and he had a sympathetic smile on his face as he watched Ash nervously pacing.

"_I can't say I blame him, this is his first date after all_," Cilan thought to himself as he watched his friend.

Ash was wearing a different outfit than his usual attire. He was wearing a black button down shirt, his usual black gloves, his black jeans, and his usual red high tops. But he wasn't wearing his hat because Cilan said it wouldn't fit with his clothes.

Cilan couldn't watch his friend be nervous so he called out to him, "Ash, calm down." He put his hand on his shoulder and continued, "Ash, you have nothing to worry about, all you have to do is be yourself and it will be fine."

Ash somewhat eased himself but he was still a little nervous.

_Meanwhile with May, she was nervous too._

"Guys, I don't know if I can go out there, I'm really nervous as it is," May confided in Iris and Rebecca as they watched her pace in her room.

Iris and Rebecca looked at her sympathetically; Glaceon was just as nervous as her trainer as well.

May kept pacing back and forth until Rebecca put a hand on her shoulder and gave her advice, "Listen, I'm sure Ash is just as nervous as you, but if you just be yourself and have fun, you won't be as nervous anymore. So don't worry, you'll be fine."

May looked up at the taller woman who smiled at her, which she returned the smile just as fully. So she took a deep breath, gathered Glaceon in her arms and went through the door.

Back in the lobby, Ash was still pacing but not as much as before. He didn't notice May come in the lobby until she called out to him, "Hi, Ash."

He turned as he heard his name and he instantly was entranced by May's outfit. She was wearing a red blouse made of a light material, with blues jeans that hugged her hips and accentuated her curves. She wasn't wearing her bandana or her gloves and she wore her shoes with it. She also had a red bag hanging from her shoulder that fell to her hip.

May was wondering what was wrong when Ash didn't say anything, so she asked, "Ash, are you okay?"

Ash snapped out of his trance when Cilan nudged him in the ribs and he replied sheepishly, "I'm fine May. It's just I think you look really pretty in that outfit."

After the compliment he gave her, they were both blushing Ash from nerves and May from being flattered. "Thank you Ash, you look nice too," she replied with her own compliment. Ash smiled at her for complimenting him but still retained the blush.

"Well, are you two going to just stand there staring at each other or are you two going to have breakfast?" Rebecca asked them to snap them out of their gazes.

As if on cue, both of their stomachs growled in unison which caused both the trainer and coordinator blush in embarrassment. Rebecca, Iris and Cilan let out a little laugh for both of their friends' hunger. So they all went to the dining room of the Pokémon Center, got their breakfast, sat down at a table and started to eat. Well, three were eating slowly; two were devouring everything that was on their plates in a flash. It didn't even phase Ash and May that their friends were staring at them, asking themselves, "_How can they eat so much in the morning_?"

After they ate, Ash got up and nervously asked May, "May, would you like to go now?" He held his hand out for May to take it and she replied, "Sure." She took his hand and she got out of her seat, then they headed out the door with Pikachu and Glaceon following behind.

"Do you think that they will have a good time?" Iris asked Rebecca.

"Of course, the festival they have is very popular with tourists and locals. I'm sure they'll have a great time," Rebecca replied confidently.

So with Ash and May they were still holding hands and were still a little nervous until Ash spoke up, "How about we play some games?"

May smiled and replied, "Sure that sounds like fun." Then she pulled him along to the games with Pikachu and Glaceon at their heels.

That morning, they did a lot of things, they played different games where they both won small things, they went to different food stands to sample the snacks they had, and they played with their Pokémon in a game where they had to capture the other team's flag. Ash and May played on the same side with their Pokémon where they worked together to capture the blue flag from the other team. At the end of the game, their team won. Ash and May had enjoyed themselves so much that they weren't nervous anymore. It was around three when they took a break for lunch where they sat at a table under an umbrella outside a restaurant with some iced tea. While they were waiting for their food they were reminiscing about their own journeys to each other. Pikachu and Glaceon were comfortable in the other seat that they shared together and seemed just as happy as their trainers.

"This is really nice, Ash. I haven't had this much fun for a few weeks, since I'm training for the Grand Festival. I'm happy to just spend time with you like old times. I'm really glad you asked me out," May said, happily smiling at Ash.

His face had a little blush as he was happy that she was having a good time, he replied, "I'm glad that you like this date so far, because there is another activity we can do if you want. I heard from Rebecca that there is an annual Pokémon Battle Tournament where the winner gets a Pokémon egg. If you want, we could try it out to see if either of us wins."

She thought about it and replied, "Sure, why not? It can give me a chance to practice more for my contest battles. It can also benefit you to train for the Unova league." As she said that, the waiter came with their food. May ordered the Caesar Salad with strips of grilled chicken, while Ash had ordered a hamburger with fries. They shared their drinks with Pikachu and Glaceon as they munched on some Pokémon food, with Glaceon, May added a poffin to it.

After they ate, Ash was about to pay when May said, "No, Ash you don't have to I can pay for my lunch." But he replied, "It's alright I want to pay; besides I asked you on this date anyway. So it's my treat."

"Okay, but next time I'll pay, deal?" May said as she held out her hand for him to make the deal with her.

Ash chuckled thinking, "_She is so cute when she has a determined face like that for simply paying the bill_," then he replied aloud, "Deal." He shook her hand and they took off for the place where the tournament was being held.

It was being held outside where a solitary battlefield was and many trainers had gathered around an announcer to hear the rules. Then the announcer cleared his throat and spoke loudly through a microphone, "Welcome trainers to the annual Pokémon Battle Tournament. Where trainers from near and far participate to win this Pokémon egg," He then revealed a Pokémon egg in a case on a small table. The egg was black with a wavy red stripe around it. Then the announcer spoke again, "The tournament rules are simple; each trainer must knock out another trainer in one on one battles, the last one to make it in the end, wins. You don't have to use one Pokémon the whole time; you can use your other Pokémon to alternate with other battles. Now, whoever wants to participate, they can sign themselves up."

Then many trainers had formed a line and Ash and May were able to be the first ones to sign up. Then after a tedious wait, the participants have been accepted and the announcer started to speak, "There are thirty- two contestants and the computer will sort out each battle randomly. Now that everything is order, let's get started with the battles!" As he said this, the pictures on the screen behind him had started sorting the pictures of the contestants in a random order until it picked two pictures and revealed that one was May and the other was a girl with red hair and green eyes. "Our first contestants are, May Maple and Andrea. Would you two step forward, please?"

**So what do you think? I hope you like it so far. Please review if you wish to do so.**


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